Automatic fire-alarm.



Patented Ian. I, l90l. A. R. THOMPSON.

AUTOMATIC FIRE ALARM.

(Application filed Sept. 22, 1899.) 3 2 Shaetr-Sheet I.

(No Model.

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/ WITNES; v @w @QMZM Patented Ian. I, [90L 2 Shaatr -Shat 2.

A. R. THOMPSON.

AUTUMATIG FIRE ALARM.

(Application filed Sept. 22, 1899.)

A TTOHNEX.

(No Model.)

N TED ST T PATENT OFF CE.

ALBERT n. THo PsoN, or INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR' OF TWO- THIBDS To CLARENCE M. ZE ER AND JOHN WOOHER, or SAME-PLACE.

AUTOMATIC FIRE-ALARM.

srnomcnr'xon forming part or Letters Patent No. 665,040, dated January 1, 1901. I 'ippliontion filed September 22,.1899. serial lie- 781,266. the model.) I

To all whont ttmay concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT R. THOMPSON, 'a citizen ofthe United States, residing at.In'-

dianapolis, inthe county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Automatic Fire-Alarm, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvementin automatic fire-alarms.

- One object'of myinvention is to produce a cheap and eifective thermostat which may be used in combination with either a closed or open circuit, and a further object of my in- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the ther mosta'th Fig.- 2 is a central vertical section thereof. Fig.3 is a section at right angles ,to

Fig. 2.; Fig. 4 .is a bottom plan view thereof. Fig. 5 is'a diagrammatic view of an alarm and register'system combining both'open and 5 I thermostat.

closedcircuits provided with my improved In the drawings", 6 indicates a terminal ha vi ingformed at its upper end a flange 6'. The

other terminal; 7 is arranged alongside of terminal 6, a suitable distance therefrom, and is providedwith a flange '8 at its upper end.

' Terminal 7- is provided at its upper end with a box-likeiinclosum 9, whichvextends toward-- terminal 6, and thetwoterminals are insulated from each other by a suitable insulating-block l0. 'Extending"across and within inclosure 9 is an insulating-pin 11, which is it provided at each end with an enlarged head,

. thus forming a pair of shoulders 12.

Formed inthe upper end of each terminal 6 and 7 is a recess 13, having a tongue14= bent down .from one sid ethereof partially across the recess, so thatwirej-15fmay be passed around the end of and beneath said tongue; After the wire has been placed within the recess it is soldered in position, and the recess is 'then filled with any suitable waterproof insulating material 16. I

- 17 indicates a piece of spring metal, which is doubled upon itself and ot such form that the doubled end may be passed into the inclosure 9 and pin 12 passed through the bight thereof, the spring lying between the shoulders 12, and thus being insulated from the twote-rminals. The ends of spring-17 are normally held out of engagement with terminals 6 and 7 by a small'portion of easilyftisible solder 18, as shown.

' Secured to the ends of spring 17 are two insulating-blocks 19 and 20, to which are secured terminals 21 and 22, respectively, said terminals being of such form that with the ends of spring 17 normally held together by solder 18 the ends of terminals 21and 22 will be in engagement with, each other. Terminals 21 and 22 are each providedwith a recess 23, into which wire 24: may be passed and soldered in position in any suitable mannor, preferably such asthat just described.

It will be readily understood, of course, that any desirable means of attachment of thewires to the terminals may be used. In the'construction described wires 15 form a part of an open circuit, terminals 6 and 7 be.' ing connected in parallel, while terminals 21 and 22 are a ranged for closed-circuit work on wires 2d and are to be connected in series,

as. shown. 7

In practice I provide a central station or indicator-box 25, provided with the usual an-- nunciator system, as shown. Mountedin box 25 is a suitable clockwork 26, provided-with a rotatable shaft upon which are secured twoheads 27 and 28, which are provided with projecting teeth adapted to engage the corre-' spending terminals 29 and 30, which termi nalsare insulated from each other and from .the clockwork, 'A suitable brake, such as arm 31, isprovided to normally prevent the operation of the clockwork, and this arm is held in its normal'position by means of a pin or roller32, carried by'a pivoted arm 33. Arm 33 is provided with a metallic bar 34,

Which'lies'opposite an electrouiagnet 35, and ,1

is also provided with asiinilar bar 36, which nected to the other end of arm 33 for a purpose I which will be made to appear. Suitably oon- .lies opposite magnet 37, A'spring38 i w connected in parallel, as already described, to the terminals 6 and 7 of a series of thermostats such as those already described.

- It will be readily understood that any desired number of circuits may be-used, all leading to magnet and properly connected from that point to the annunciator. As shown, magnet 35 forms a part of the open circuit 15 and upon rise of temperature of the medium surrounding any one of the thermostats forming part of circuits 15 the solder-18 will be melted and the ends of, spring 17 fly out iuto'engagement with terminals Band 7, thus closing the circuit and causing bar 34 to be drawn toward the magnet, so as to withdraw pin 32 from engagement with arm 31, and thus release the clockwork and allow head 27 to be revolved.- vThe revolution of the'shaft brings head 28," which is normally out of engagement with terminal 29, into engagement with said terminal, thus intermittently closing and opening, the open alarmcircuit. Head 36 is normally held in engagement with the closedfcircuit magnet 37 against the actionof spring 38. The wires 24 of said circuit are connected to the terminals 21 and 22 of the series of thermostats already described. Under the circumstances when solder 18 is melted the ends of spring 17 are thrown out, thus separating terminals 21 and 22 and breaking the closed circuit 24. By this means the engagement between magnet 37 and head 36 is released, the spring 38 then withdrawing pin 32 from engagementwith arm 31 and allowing head 28 to be rotated beneath terminal 30, so as to intermittently break and close the closed circuit, and thus send-an alarm through the closed alarm and register circuit.

In order that an alarm may be sent in by hand from the an nuuciator-station, I connect to arm 33a link 41 and lever 42, which lever is brought-down in the usual manner opposite a glass panel, so thatby pulling down the lever 42 the clockwork may be released. By using both the closed and open circuits in the same system the possibility of failure to operate'because of defective circuits or defective batteries is very materially lessened, and the thermostat being constructed as it is may be readily used as a part of either the closed or opencircuit, or both. Leading from the frame of clockwork 26 is a wire 43, which is common to both the closed and open circuits mentioned, and leading from the end of the said wire 43 are two wires 44 and 45. Wire 44 is connected to one terminal of the primary coilof an ordinary closedrelay 46, and the circuit through said coil is completed by wire 47, battery 48,'and wire 49, saidwire 49 being connected toterminal 30 of the clockwork. 'A local open circuit 50 is conn'ected to the secondary terminals of the closed relay 46 and to one pair of terminals of suitable pen-register 51, as shown in Fig. 5, said pen- 1 register being of the form ordinarily used in systems of this character. Wire -is con nected to one terminal of the. rilnary coil of an open relay 53, and this circuit-is completed by wire 54, ,connected to the other terminal of said coil, battery 55, grounded wire 56, and

' form, having energizing-coils,which of course form a part of therespective circuit-s and 58. A gong 52 formsa part of the circuit58, anda gong forms a part of the circuit 43, 44,; 47, 48, and 49, said gongs being connected with the circuit in the usual manner, the coils thereof forming a part of the said circuits; In the operation when the mechanism of the box 25 has been operated so as to release clockwork 26 heads 27 28 will be revolved, said revolution intermittently breaking and making the closed circuit of which the closed relay forms a part, and this alternate breaking'and making of this circuit alternately makes and breaks circuit 50, so as to operate.- pen-register 51 in the usual manner. ,At the same time the revolution of head 27 alternately makes and breaks the open circuit of which the open relay forms a part, and said alternate making and breaking alternately makes and breaks circuit 58,which also causes an operation of the pen-register. It is to be understood that the pen-register is of that form in whichthere are duplicate pens, each of which operates independently of the other. By. this system of connections the liability of erroror failure to Work is decreased, because it is practically certain that one or the other of the closed and open circuits will be in condition to operate.

Ifclaim as my invention- 1. In a fire-alarm, a thermostat consisting of a pair of terminals, a pair-of spring-arms mounted between and insulated from said terminals, and a fusible connection for normally holding said spring-arms out of simultaneous engagement with said terminals.

2. In a fire-alarm, a thermostat consisting of a pair of terminals, a doubled piece of spring metal mounted between said terminals and insulated therefrom,and fusible means for normally holding the ends of said spring but of simultaneous engagement with said terminals.

- 3. In a fire-alarm, a thermostat consisting of a pair of terminals arranged to form a part of an open circuit, a pin mounted between and insulated from said terminals, a pair of spring-conductors electrically connected and mounted upon said pin so as to be insulated from said terminals, a fusible connection between said spring-conductors so as to normally hold them out of simultaneous engage- IIO.

ment with said terminals, and a pair of terminals carried one by each of said spring.

arms and insulated therefrom, the arrangeme nt being such that said terminals are normally held in engagement with each other b means of said fusible connection.

4. In a fire-alarm, a thermostat consisting of a pair of terminals arranged to form a part 7 of an open circuit, a pin mounted between and insulated from said terminals, adonbled spring-conductor pivoted at its bight upon said pin,a fusible connection carried by said spring-conductor so as to hold its ends from simultaneous engagement with said.- terminals, and-a pair of terminals carried by thearms of said spring-conductor and insulated therefrom, the arrangement being such that said terminals are held in engagement with" each other by means of said fusible connection. A

5. In a fire-alarm, athermostat consisting of a pair of insulated terminals, a box-like 'inclosure formed on one terminal, an insulating-pin passing through vsaid inclosure, a doubled spring pivoted at'its bight on said pin and lying between said terminals, and a I fusi'ble connection betweenthe ends of said spring to normally hold said ends out of simultaneous-engagement with said terminals.

6. In a fire-alarm, a thermostat consisting of a pair of insulated terminals arrangedto form part of an open circuit, a box-like inclosure formedon one terminal, an insulat ing-pin passing through said inclosure, a

doubled spring pivoted at its bight on said pin and lying between said'terminals, a fusible connection between the ends of said spring vto normally hold said ends out of simultaneous engagement with said terminals, and a "second pair of terminals carried by the ends carried one by each arm and insulated therefrom, and a fusible connection between said arms so as to normally hold said terminals in engagement with each other.

8. Ina fire-alarm, a thermostat, consisting of a single piece of spring. material doubled by each of'the ends of said spring, and a fusible connection between the adjacent portions of said spring whereby said terminals are normally held in engagement with each other so as to forma part of a closed circuit.

9. In a. fire-alarm, the combination with an,

upon itself, a pair of terminals carried one.

automatic fire-alarm transmitter, of a pair of electromagnets, one forming a part of a closed circuit and the other forming a part of an open circuit, an arm arranged in position to be operated upon by both of said magnets and adapted to normally prevent the operation of the automatic al'arm transmitter, a

closed circuit,,an. open circuit, and a series of thermostats, each provided with a pair of terminals which terminals are connected to the open circuit, a second pair ofterminals which terminals form a part of the closed circuit, and a fusible means for normally holding the second pair of terminals in engagement with each other and for normally maintrical connection.

tainingthe first pair of terminals out of elec- 10.' In a. fire-alarm, the combination with an automatic fire-alarm transmitter, of a pair of electromagnets, one. forming part of an open circuit, and the other forming part of a closed circuit, an arm arranged in position to be operated upon by both of said magnets and adapted to normally prevent the operation of the automatic alarm-transmitter, a closed circuit, an open circuit, and a series of thermostats, each provided with a pair of terminals which terminals are connected to the open circuit, a piece of doubled spring metal mounted between and insulated from said terminals, a fusible connection normally holding the ends of said spring from simultaneous engagement with said terminals, and a pair of terminals forming part of said closed circuit and being held normally inengagement-with each other by said fusible connection.

11. An electrical connection a suitable terminal or body, a recess formed,

therein, a tongue formed integral with said terminaland adjacent said recess,aud adapted consisting ofa to be thrown down so as to extend partially across the mouth of said recess so that awire may be slipped around the end of and beneath j said tongue into the recess. 12. An electrical connection consisting of a suitable terminal or body, a recess formed therein, and a tongue extending partially' across the month of. said recessso that a wire may be slipped around the end of and beneath saidtongue into the recess,

. ALBERT R. THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR M; Hoop, FRANK A. FAnLrrj 

